Toy or game apparatus



Sept. 27, 1938. c. w. AUGER v 2,131,496

TOY on GAME APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 27, 1938. c. w. AUGER TOY OR GAME APPARATUS Filed NOV. 8, 1957- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES TOY O-R GAME APPARATUS Charles Warrington Auger, Sefton Park, Liverpool, England Application November 8, 1937, Serial No. 173,509

5 Claims.

This invention is for an improved toy or game apparatus of the kind comprising a figure having a limb or limbs adapted to be animated by inflation. Figures of this kind have been used in combination with a miniature boxing ring to provide a game in which each figure is animated by an air forcing device, such as an air bulb, under the control of a player, the miniature figures being caused to attack each other in a pugilistic manner when their limbs are inflated. To increase the realism of games of this kind particularly when the miniature figures are used in a boxing game of the kind mentioned a non-return pressure relief valve has been located in the conduit connection between the air forcing device and the figure so that the air available in the air forcing means for inflating the figure gradually diminishes until the available pressure is so low that when one of the figures is knocked out by the other there is not suificient pressure to return it to its upright position, the game being won by the player controlling the miniature figure dealing the "knock out blow. There is a certain element of skill required in playing the game inasmuch as the volume of air lost through the pressure relief valve depends on the manner in which the player operates the air forcing device; the loss of air increasing with the pressure in the air forcing means, so that the player has to exercise skill in conserving the air and at the same time causing the figure under his control to deal effective blows. Furthermore, when a figure is knocked down the pressure required to raise it causes a loss of air so that the figures weaken with the number of times they are knocked down.

Since the figures in a game of this character are, as is known, made by dipping a mould repeatedly into a rubber solution so as to build up the figure on the mould, and further since the performance of the figure depends on the thickness of the rubber forming the limbs it is clear that a uniform performance-factor for all figures made under mass-produced conditions is not possible. The correction so as to produce a quality in the performance-factor of each figure is made by adjusting the pressure relief valve on the air forcing device, and it has been found that this pressure relief valve must be of such a character as to permit the making of fine adjustments in order that the game may be successfully performed under equal conditions of the two players.

One object of the present invention is therefore to provide figures and game apparatus of the above kind having an improved form of pressure relieving valve, which can be adjusted so that the loss of air from each figure will be substantially equal for the same air pressure. Furthermore, in some circumstances it maybe desirable to increase the possibility of a knock out and this can be done by adjusting the relief valves so that a greater amount of air is lost each time the air forcing means is operated to inflate the limbs of the figure. If the figure has a metallic conduit within the leg it is found frequently that such metallic conduits for different figures have to be bent in different directions in order to maintain the attitude of the figure, and this produces, a variation in the performance of the figure in that it bends along the leg in which the conduit is located when the figure is knocked down, and unless this line of bending or point of bending is uniform the figures cannot be restored to the erect position by the same air pressure for each figure;-furthermore bending about the metallic conduit tends to tear or perforate the rubber of the figure. A further object of the invention therefore is to improve the leg construction of the hollow rubber figures.

In applying the invention to game apparatus such as a boxing game each figure may consist of a body having at least one hollow inflatable leg of flexible material and hollow inflatable arms of greater flexibility than the leg, a cork insert being located in the foot of the hollow leg and the leg fixed on a supporting platform. A conduit connects the hollow leg to the hollow arm and an air outlet in the supporting platform registers with an air passage in the cork insert, the air outlet in the platform being connected by a conduit to the air forcing means. The platforms for the figures are supported for movement towards and away from each other on guides extending across a miniature boxing ring, spring means being provided which tend normally to draw the figures towards each other.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a specific example of a boxing game constructed according to the invention. 'On the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line I-I of Figure 2 of a miniature boxing ring with one of the performers in its operative position,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the miniature boxing ring showing the means for moving the figures towards and away from one another within the ring,

Figure 3 is an enlarged part sectional elevation of a performing figure mounted on its supporting platform which in turn is mounted for movement on guides in the boxing ring,

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view of the supporting platform for the performing figure, the section being taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale of the air forcing bulb and the pressure relief valve.

The ring comprises a box l0 strengthened by inserts H which serve to support the fioor 12 of the ring. Under the fioor l2 diagonal-guides l3, M, are arranged in register with a floor-aperture l5. Corner posts 16 are supported in the box l9 and are sunk in a removable manner in the inserts H, and ropes I! mark off the area of the boxing ring.

Two carriages l8, l9, for the performers are slidably mounted on the guides l3, l4, and, by attaching an elastic member 29 to the remote end of each carriage and anchoring the members 20 at 2| to the guide-brackets 22, the carriages l9, l9 are drawn towards one another unless forces are applied in the opposite direction. Rubber conduits 24 from air-bulbs 23 pass through the brackets 22 and are attach-ed to air conduits 25 which are connected to an outlet port 25 on the upper side of the platforms l8, IS. The outlet 26 is surrounded by a compressible washer 21 so that when a platform 28 on which the performer is secured is pressed by the screw 29 on to the washer 21 leakage of air to and from the figure is prevented. Furthermore by loosening the screw 29 the air in the bulb 23 and the figure may be replenished.

One of the performing figures will be described in detail with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings. The figure comprises a hollow trunk 39 of rubber having leg sockets 3i and 32 and arm sockets 33 only one of which is shown. A leg 34 which in the case shown is hollow and may be formed of rubber is adhesively secured in the leg socket 3| and a hollow inflatable leg 35 also of rubber extends through the leg socket 32 and terminates in a conduit 36 the end 31 of which is secured in an airtight manner in a hollow chest 38' located within the trunk part 30 and having hollow arms 39. An insert of cork 40 is located in the foot 4| of the leg 35 and has an air inlet passage 43 which communicates with the hollow leg 35 and thereby through the conduit 36 and the chest 38 with the arms 39. The arms 39 are of thinner rubber than the leg 35 so that a greater degree of animation is imparted to the arms than to the leg when they are inflated, the arms lying normally against the body part under the action of cork or like weights 44 which are located in the gloves of the pugilist and also give some force to a blow from the figure. The leg 35 when infiated is relatively rigid and serves to support the figure resiliently, and the leg 34 is not secured to the platform 28 so that when the figure is thrown back on this leg by animation of the leg 35 it will rock in a manner similar to a pugilist in action. The cork insert 49 shortens the effective resilient length of the leg 35 and increases the springiness of the leg. The platform 28 is secured to the carriage l8, l9, by means of the screw 29 and is centered thereon by means of a lug 45 on the platform which engages an aperture'in the carriage and when the platform is in position the air inlet passage 43 in the cork insert registers with the compressible washer 2'! and outlet 26 in the carriage to provide an airtight connection between the conduit 24 and the inflatable limbs of the figure.

One of the air bulbs 23 and its associated pressure relief valve 46 will now be described with reference to Figure 5 of the drawings. The air bulb is connected to the conduit 24 through a pipe 41 secured in a plate 48 which is clamped to a plate 49 by screws 59, a washer of leather or the like 5| being located between the plates 48 and 49 and having a slot which when the washer is in position provides a passageway 52 between the pipe 41 and a pipe 53 secured in the plate 49 and to which the conduit 24 is connected. The pressure relieving means is arranged immediately below the pipe 41 and is quite distinct from the pipe 24 and comprises an exhaust port 54 in the plate 49 into which is fitted a conduit 55. The exhaust port is controlled by a non-return pressure-relief valve fitted within the conduit 55 and comprising a bridge piece 56 screwed into the upper part of the conduit 55 and having ports 51 which communicate with the interior 58 of a valve seating 59 which is wedged in the conduit 55 by the bridge piece 56 the valve seating being provided with a rubber gasket 59 to provide a 'fiuid tight joint. The valve seating is closed at its lower part by a non-return valve 6| haing a rubber face 52 and fixed on an axially movable valve spindle 63, one end of which is slidably supported in the bridge piece 56 and the opposite end of which is slidably supported in a collar 64 held in position in the conduit 55 by an adjustable screw 35 the collar 94 having a port 56 and the screw 65 a port 61. A compression spring 58 is located between the valve 6| and the collar 65 and serves to force the valve on to the seating 59 against the pressure of the air in the bulb 23. It will be seen that when the bulb 23 is squeezed air will be forced down the conduit 24 to animate the figure connected therewith and also if the pressure is great enough to overcome the spring 68, through the port 51 the seating 59 and ports 96 and 61 to the atmosphere so that a certain amount of air within the bulb is lost, the valve 6| also acting as a non-return valve to prevent the air fiowing back into the bulb 23. The tension of the spring 68 and thereby the amount of air lost can be regulated by adjusting the screw 65.

In playing the game one of the miniature pugilists is allocated to each player and by pulling or releasing the conduits 34 the players can cause the pugilists to move away from or towards one another and at the same time by squeezing the bulbs 23 the figures are caused to aim blows at each other. As the game proceeds air is lost through the exhaust valve, the harder the bulb 23 is squeezed the greater the amount of air lost, so that each time the pugilist is knocked down a substantial amount of air is lost in bringing it back to the erect position until eventually the bulb and figure are to a substantial extent evacuated and the figure after it has collapsed fails to rise. This knock-out may be taken as ending the game and to start a new game it is necessary to slacken the screws 29 so that atmospheric air can fiow back into the figures and the bulb.

It will be observed that when a sudden squeeze is imparted to the bulb 23 the momentum of the air expelled from the bulb tends to cause an excessive discharge through the relief valve, and therefore hard and quick blows can only be delivered by the figure at the expense of greater exhaustion. This makes the figure closely analogous to a pugilist in action.

I claim:-

1. A figure for performing animated actions comprising a body having at least one hollow limb of flexible material, said limb under inflation and deflation producing animated action in A the limb, an air inlet in the body, a conduit connecting said air inlet to the hollow inflatable limb, an air forcing device having a delivery port and an exhaust port, means to charge the air forcing mechanism, a conduit connecting said delivery port to said air inlet, a non-return valve controlling said exhaust port, spring means acting to close said valve against the air pressure in the air forcing device, and tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension of said spring means whereby the volume of air lost through the exhaust port when the pressure in the air forcing means is increased, to inflate the limb, can be regulated and the ability of the air forcing means to inflate the limb will diminish as air is lost through said exhaust port.

2. A figure for performing animated actions comprising a body having at least one hollow limb of flexible material, the limb being arranged for inflation and deflation to produce animated action thereof, an air inlet in the body, a conduit connecting said air inlet to the ho1-' low inflatable limb, an air forcing device having a suction port, a delivery port and an exhaust port, means for closing the suction port after the air forcing device has been charged, a conduit connecting the delivery port to the said air inlet, valve means controlling the exhaust port, spring means acting to close said valve against the air pressurein the air forcing device, and tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension of said spring means whereby the volume of air lost through the exhaust port when the pressure in the air forcing means is increased to inflate the limb can be regulated, the ability of the air forcing means to inflate the limb diminishing as air is lost through said exhaust port.

3. A figure for performing animated actions comprising a body having at least one hollow limb of flexible material, the limb being arranged for inflation and deflation to produce animated action thereof, an air inlet in the body, a conduit connecting said air inlet to the hollow inflatable limb, an air forcing device having an exhaust port and a combined delivery and suction port, a detachable conduit connecting said air inlet to the combined suction and delivery port whereby said delivery port can be opened to the atmosphere to permit a charge of air to be drawn into the air forcing means, valve means controlling the exhaust port, spring means acting to close said valve against the air pressure in the air forcing device, and tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension of said spring means whereby the volume of air lost through the exhaust port when the pressure in the air forcing means is increased to inflate regulated, the ability of the air forcing device to inflate the limb diminishing as air is lost through said exhaust port.

4. A figure for performing the animated action of a human being comprising a bodyhaving at least one hollow inflatable leg of flexible mate rial at least one hollow arm'of greaterflexibility than the leg, the arm being arranged for inflation and deflation to produce animated action thereof, a conduit connecting the hollow leg to the hollow arm, a supporting block (e. g. of cork) fitted in the foot of the hollow leg, and having an air inlet passage, an air forcing device having a delivery port and an exhaust port,

a conduit connecting said delivery port to said air passage, a non-return valve controlling said exhaust port, spring means acting to close said valve against the air pressure in the air forcing device and tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension of said spring means whereby the volume of air lost through the exhaust port when the pressure in the air forcing means is increased to inflate the hollow leg and arm, can, Y

be regulated, the ability of the air forcing device to inflate said leg and arm diminishing as air is lost throughthe exhaust port.

5. A boxing game pugilists each having flexible material, and flexibility than the leg, for inflation and deflation to simulate anima tion therein, a conduit connecting the hollow leg to the hollow arms and a supporting block (e. g. of cork) fitting in the foot of thehollow leg and having an air inlet passage, two supporting platforms one for each figure and each having an air outlet in register with said air inlet passage, a miniature boxing ring having guide rails supporting said platforms for movement across the ring, air forcing devices one for each figure a hollow inflatable leg of hollow arms of greater and each having a delivery port and an exhaust port, conduits connecting the delivery port of each air forcing device to the outlet port of its associated figure-supporting platform, a non-return valve controlling the exhaust port of each air forcing device, spring means acting to close said valves against the air pressure in the air forcing devices and tension adjusting means for adjusting the tension of said spring means whereby the volume of air lost through the exhaust ports when the pressure in the air forcing means is increased to inflate the hollow limbs of the figures, can be regulated, the ability of the air forcing devices to inflate said limbs diminishing as air is lost through the exhaust port.

CHARLES WARRINGTON AUGER.

the limb, can be comprising two miniature thearms being arranged 

